


Ante Bellum

by Sagittae



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Pre-Campaign, Pre-Mighty Nein, Young!Fjord, Young!Jester
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-05-01 04:32:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14512623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sagittae/pseuds/Sagittae
Summary: Before Jester was a cleric, before Fjord was a sailor - they were something else.





	1. The 12th of Misuthar, 818 P.D.

**Author's Note:**

> It's 3am and I had the urge to post this. Originally this was going to be one big, long monster one-shot, but when I was reading through the sections I had, it just worked better as separate chapters. Chapters for this will probably have really weird length differences. Some will be 1k words and up while others might just be below 300, but if that's the case I might post two chapters at a time. Half of the fic is written so hopefully this will be done within the next few weeks.
> 
> Also, this is a complete AU based off of [this](https://fjordwarlock.tumblr.com/post/172085392250/hellishrebuke-okay-but-fjorester-bodyguard-au) post. And since the canon is constantly changing and being added to, some things will definitely just be me taking creative liberties. Enjoy!

Jester was only twelve when she saw a guard bringing in a young, half-orc boy.

Fjord was barely eleven when he attempted to snatch some spare silver from the Lady’s Trove.

“What were ya even thinkin’, kid? Stealin’ from Ruby ‘s pretty dumb.” Davin, one of the guards, says. Jester remembered him because of the bald spot towards the back of his head. “Alright. Gimme all the coin ya got, now.”

It was barely passed midday and so far, this incident is the most interesting thing that had happened in months. Jester had found a quiet perch — a small corner of the nighthouse where the drapes nearly covered the banisters of the second floor. From there, she often peered down to draw little figures of the people who would come in to visit her mother and sisters. The Ruby of the Sea never minded as long as she hid herself well. This is the way it had been for years. Or at least, if any of the patrons ever saw her, they were either too drunk to remember or too distracted to care.

The half finished drawing of a unicorn sat in her sketchbook and is soon placed beside her as she waited curiously for what would happen next. She felt a twinge of sympathy for the boy when she saw the way his hands clenched angrily, his head bowed. After a few seconds pass, he slowly pulled out a handful of silvers and set it in Davin’s waiting hand.

“I said  _ all _ the coin, kid.” 

The boy locks eyes with Davin, “The rest of it is mine. I earned it.” His voice reminds her of some of the higher class people that visited the Trove. Their accents were much different from hers and her mother’s. Jester decided then and there that she liked this boy — or at least, she liked the way he sounded.

Unfortunately, the boy’s words seem to have the opposite effect on Davin, who had begun to look frustrated. “Look, I know ya took more. I saw ya reachin’ into that pocket. Ain’t no way those gold pieces belong to you.”

“The rest of it is  _ mine _ ,” and Jester can hear his tone become defensive.

“Listen,  _ brat _ , Ruby—.”

“What about  _ Ruby _ ?” 

Her eyes traveled over to the top of the staircase only to land on her mother’s form, already dressed in a vibrant sapphire dress. The small tail of the fabric trailed behind her as she glided down the steps. Jester took this as her chance — and permission — to also leave the solitude of the second floor. Pushing herself up to her knees, she quickly bound her sketchbook with leather ties and scooped up her materials in her arms. She dashed over to her room, filled with pinks and blues and purples — and dumped her stuff before bouncing excitedly down the stairs.

It wasn’t often that she saw people her age, especially since her trips outside were limited and involved very little interaction with others. Sometimes the inside could get boring, but her sisters would try to take her on trips whenever they could. Jester never minded, really — her mother gave her whatever she wanted and all the love that she could. Ultimately, she was happy. At the end of the day, she had a loving family that cared for her. That was a lot more than what some others had, and her mother had always reminded her of this.

However, no matter how well adjusted Jester was to her situation, that didn’t stop the boredom that constantly plagued her. Which is why she wasn’t about to miss out on all of the fun when it was happening just one floor below her.

Jumping from the last three stairs, she barely managed to stop herself from skidding into her mother’s legs. The Ruby did not seemed surprised by her sudden appearance and actually put a swift arm out to steady her daughter. “Jester, darling, what are you doing?” 

Jester played it up by hugging her mother’s legs and showed off a bright smile. “I wanted to see the boy Davin found!”

The Ruby tutted, but allowed it. “Alright, but try not to gawk, baby. It’s not very polite.” After receiving a vigorous nod of agreement, she added, “And make sure you go back upstairs, we’re going to open soon.”

“Yes, mother!”

“And I mean  _ upstairs _ . Not peeking down from the balcony this time.”

Jester grumbled a bit at that. “Yes, mother…”

“Good. Davin, what seems to be the problem here?” The Ruby kept a hand on Jester’s shoulder, probably to stop her from fidgeting restlessly.

Davin seemed flustered at first, as most of the guards hardly ever spoke to her mother directly. He cleared his throat. “I caught this one tryin’ to make off with some of yer coin, miss. He was behind the bar with his hand in the tip jar.”

Now that Jester was closer, she was able to get a better perception of the person in question. There was no doubt that he was a half-orc with the dark green skin and small tusks protruding from his lower lip. Dirt was smeared across his forehead and a smudge could be seen on his neck. Broken nails and cut up fingers dug into worn down trousers while he tried to hide from his surveyors underneath dark, long bangs.

However, he wasn’t quite fast enough to avoid Jester’s gaze.

She saw yellow slitted eyes staring back at her, both anger and something similar to resignation on the surface. Despite this, she raised a hand and waved enthusiastically at him. This seemed to confuse him, and he raised a hand, as if to wave back, but seemed to think better of it. At that moment, Davin increased the grip on his shoulder, causing him to wince and turn away.

“Oh, enough of that, Davin. Leave him be. The only crime he’s committed is wanting to feed himself,” her mother waved an impatient hand at the man. Gavin muttered to himself, but obeyed, lifting his hand from the stranger’s shoulder. “Excellent. Now, what is your name, young man?”

The boy shifted on his feet slightly, appearing rather shy and standoffish. Jester saw his eyes dart around quickly, liked a trapped animal planning for an escape. His gaze finished their journey at the ground.

“Fjord, madam.”

Ruby smiled at that, “My, and he comes equipped with manners, as well.” With that, her mother pushed her along, bringing them closer to him. Jester watched closely as her mother leaned down a bit, coming face to face with Fjord. “Though, with that etiquette, you must know that it’s very impolite to take another person’s things. Everyone here works very hard for what they earn.”

He nodded shortly, “I-I know that, madam.”

“I would hope so. I don’t think I have to ask why you were trying to take coin from me, Fjord, but the question is: were you trying to obtain coin for yourself or for others?”

He was quick to reply when prompted. “It’s just me, madam.”

“You aren’t expected to take care of any family?”

Jester noticed Fjord’s expression sour at that. “No. They… I have no other relations.”

“You aren’t in trouble with anyone?”

“No, madam.”

“What were you planning to do with the money?”

“I wanted a blade… To be able to defend myself.”

After the barrage of questions, Ruby stood up straight, crossing her arms and keeping her eyes trained on Fjord. “I see.”

It went quiet for a moment, and Jester looked back and forth from her mother and the boy in front of them. 

Jester wasn’t exactly sure of what was going to happen next. Most of the time, whenever Gavin or the other guards ran into trouble, it was taken care of swiftly. Whether it was a drunkard trying to get into the Lady’s Trove early or an upset customer from the night before, they never really had to pay much attention to them, nor did her mother ever take time out of her day to confront offenders personally. 

She wondered what made this boy so different.

Suddenly, Jester felt a hand run through her hair gently, and she looked to her mother. The woman had a soft smile on her face, but she was still fixated ahead. Soon, she asks, “You weren’t planning on hurting anyone, were you, Fjord?”

This seemed to startle him enough to bring his gaze up, “I - No, madam. I really wasn’t trying to...”

Ruby continued, “How would you feel about staying with us, then?”

A lot happened all at once. Jester barely saw Fjord’s eyes widen before she, herself, turned to look at her mother, nearly shouting with excitement. Somewhere towards her left, she can hear Davin beginning to protest. “Are ya sure about this, Miss—?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” and Ruby beamed at Fjord now. “We will need to establish certain… rules, but I can see that you’re a sensible and intelligent boy. There’s a place for you here, if you would like to take it.”

Jester frowned at this, her previous and recent anticipation fading fast. She had just begun to realize what this will mean. If Fjord stays with them, then her mother might not spend as much time with her. Already, she was paying a lot of attention to him, and it caused something warm and upsetting to float into her mind. She didn’t know what it was, but she knew that she didn’t like it.

While Jester was fighting with her conflicting emotions, there was a heavy pause in the conversation. Fjord also appeared to be running through his own thoughts, his mouth open in shock. 

Soon enough, he answered, “If you will take me, Madam… I would very much like to stay here.”

Her mother clapped her hands together. “Wonderful! That settles that, then. Come along! We will be opening soon, so you probably won’t be able to meet the rest of the girls until tomorrow, but I would like to talk to you before I need to leave.” 

She took both Jester and Fjord’s hands and led them up the large staircase, leaving a baffled Davin to stare after them. 

As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, her mother pulled her aside briefly, “Can you wait here, darling? I’m just going to talk to Fjord for a moment.”

The burning, frustrating feeling in the back of her mind was stronger than ever.

But she simply nodded and said, “Yes, mother.”

The woman gave her a smile and cupped her chin tenderly before walking away, taking Fjord with her. Jester watched as they moved further into the dim light of the hallway and a few moments later there was the quiet clicks of her mother’s double doors closing. 


	2. The 12th of Misuthar, 818 P.D.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jester sets things straight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a lot longer than I expected because I had to go back and change the tense and other wording issues. That's what I get for writing at 2am over the span of three days, I suppose. 
> 
> Thanks for the kind words last chapter! :)

That same night, Fjord was given a room and told to wash himself, so Jester didn’t see him again until well into the night. It was nearing midnight now, and the Lady’s Trove was roaring with activity from downstairs. Her room would occasionally tremble and shake from the noise despite being located the furthest away from the main floor — right next to her mother’s office. Piano riffs and soft percussions echoed faintly throughout the building, and if she listened extra carefully, she could pick out the barest hints of a voice floating along the same soundwaves. The song was nothing that her mother would sing, and it was not as familiar, but she still enjoyed the music.

“Yvette’s singing tonight…” Jester said to herself after finally picking out the voice, sketching out some features of the very same woman. Her feet were kicking back and forth, nearly dangling off her bed. 

She went to grab a yellow wax stick when she heard someone speak from behind her. “Who’s Yvette?” 

Jester turned her head and saw Fjord just outside her door frame, glancing around curiously. “I’m sorry. I saw your door was open and I overheard you…”

Abandoning her sketch yet again, she rolled onto her back and pushed herself up until she was sitting at the edge of her bed. Her eyes adjusted to the low-light of the hallway and she was able to get a better look at her new housemate. 

Fjord’s skin was dark green, but the dirt and baggy clothes he had worn earlier had hidden its lighter gradient. Instead of his hair falling into his face, he had used a leather strap to tie the locks back into a small nub. Old scrapes and scars covered his hands and arms, but they didn’t seem to bother him. Besides that, she had only just noticed how skinny he appeared now that he had better fitting clothes. She was even sure that if they compared heights, she would be taller by at least an inch or two.

Jester didn’t want to admit it, but he was actually very pretty looking.

In order to avoid his gaze, she fell back onto her bed and pretended to scribble some more, giving her drawing a healthy amount of yellow wax for hair. “She’s one of my sisters. She doesn’t sing that often, though.”

With her back to him, she doesn’t see the way he shuffles his feet, staring at the ground nervously. “Ah. Well, she has a lovely voice.”

“Mhm,” was all she gave him, trying to act as aloof as she could. 

In reality, she was dying to just talk to him about what his life was like, where he came from, anything —  _ everything. _ Her curiosity was building up in her chest, ready to burst like a bubble and send a wave of questions at him. But she refused to let her eagerness ruin the distance she was trying to put between them. She wasn’t supposed talk to the boy that had stolen her mother’s attention from her — and she  _ definitely _ wasn’t supposed to  _ like _ him.

Beyond their brief interaction, there was no other sound besides her drawing on the parchment and the tune of Yvette’s melody floating up from the floor below. For a moment she believed that he had already left, but seconds later she heard him say, “I’ll be in the loft, then. Good night, miss.” 

Her hand stopped immediately after hearing the title, but before she could even think about correcting him, she watched as he retreated and left her field of view. She frowned at the empty doorway. The only people to call her ‘miss’ were either much older than her, or they worked for her mother. Hearing herself being so formally addressed by someone so young and nearly her own age was just... odd.

Jester hopped onto her feet and flattened her nightgown. Well, that was that, then. She  _ had _ to go set things right. There was no way she was going to let him continue to call her ‘miss’ all the time.  _ That would just be weird,  _ she thought while giving herself a self-assured nod. 

She was just going to tell him this fact and then leave him be for the rest of the night — at least, that was the plan. 

A reinforced wave of sound hit her as she tip-toed out of her room and into the open corridor. Her toes curled when she felt the fuzziness of the carpet beneath her bare feet and she crept along. Further down the hallway, she saw the warm glow of the flame in the fireplace. Large shadows were cast on the floor, almost making the small area appear bigger than it was. Despite this, she continued on, not bothering to conceal the sound of her footsteps now that she was getting closer.

As soon as she peeked out from behind the seat, she saw Fjord staring back at her, eyes wide and alert. He had made himself comfortable on the cushions, bringing his knees up and folding his legs neatly. With the size of the pillows and the looming spine of the sofa, he appeared rather small. However, something else drew her attention almost immediately.

So instead of confronting him about titles and what to call her, Jester blurted out, “You can read?” And the minute she said the words, part of her wanted to take them back. 

Her mother had told her once that education was a privilege, and besides the people that had a lot of money, not many others could read or write. Jester had learned the basics when she was eight, but she was actually one of the few in the Lady’s Trove that had such skills. Even some of her sisters didn’t know how to read and they were much older than her. 

Jester wasn’t supposed to like Fjord right now, but that doesn’t mean that she wanted to be super rude to him, either. In her attempt to amend her rather blunt outburst, she said, “That’s not - you are holding a book, so I thought that you might be able to read…?”

Unfortunately, this only prolonged the awkward silence. Whether or not he was shocked by her sudden appearance or the question itself, she watched as he shook himself and answered, “Um, yes. I learned not too long ago.”

He sounded so serious. And his voice was funny. 

Jester still liked it.

She took his reply as a sign to continue, “How old are you, then?”

Fjord counted on his fingers, then said, “Eleven.”

“I’m twelve. Do you have a birthday?”

“The 20th of Duscar.”

“The same day as Winter’s Crest?” He nods, but he seemed almost hesitant. “Mine is on the 15th of Dualahei. It’s just after the Renewal Festival, so we always have lots of food. What are you reading?” The inquiries go on for quite a bit after that, with Fjord providing a nod or a short explanation and Jester sharing things about herself, as well. 

Jester wasn't sure when it happened, but somehow — several answers later — she found herself curled on the other side of the sofa, leaning back against a decorative pillow. Another thing that had changed, was that the tension from Fjord’s shoulders was all but gone, and he was now facing towards her, legs still crossed, but his book was put aside.

Well, this wasn’t what she had planned at all.

What was even worse was that all of Fjord’s stories were really interesting. Even if he was just explaining about how he learned about ships, or describing the various places he had been to, she was intrigued. Whenever he gave her a straightforward answer, she couldn't help but to ask for more details. She learned that he had been all along the Menagerie Coast, that he learned how to read when he stayed with a nice woman in a city to the north, and that he really enjoyed the ocean. In return she had told him her favorite colors, activities, and the names of all the people that worked for her mother.

“I think you’ll meet my sisters tomorrow. You might have to wait until later on in the day, but they are really fun!” Jester told him, not even realizing how at ease she had become.

Fjord hesitated and stared down at his broken nails, “You think they will want to meet me?”

She nodded. “Yeah, of course. They are _super_ fun.”

“... Okay.” Jester watched as his eyes flickered up and he gave her a small smile.

Oh. Now she felt _really_ bad for trying to ignore him. It wasn't her fault, though. How could she like talking to someone who was trying to take her mother away from her?

“Fjord,” she started and leaned forward onto her hands. He sat back in response, looking startled. “Fjord, are you trying to steal my mother?” 

He blinked at her, but then, he held up a hand to his face and covered his mouth. And he laughed. The sound of it surprised her, and what was even more unexpected was the way his shoulders shook and his cheeks dimpled. 

Snapping herself out of her shock, she pouted. “I’m being serious!”

“Yes, I realized,” he said, still smiling. “Madam Lavore is very nice and I am grateful that she gave me a place to stay, but I think… I think this is temporary.”

“So… You aren’t trying to take her away?”

He shook his head, “I’m not. Your mother loves you a lot, you know.”

Jester stared at him intensely for a few more seconds and then she grinned at him. She closed the distance between them and sat comfortably beside him, picking up his discarded book before placing it across her lap. Fjord leaned away from her, sputtering shyly. 

“Okay, we can be friends now! I really hated hating you, anyway.”


End file.
